Free Republic

For the first time in its history, the U.S. Air Force has designated two prototype drones as unmanned fighter aircraft, marking a new era in aerial warfare. The YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, developed by General Atomics and Anduril, respectively, are the harbingers of a new chapter in military strategy, one where human pilots are no longer the sole aces in the skies. These drones, part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, are designed to fly alongside manned fifth- and sixth-generation fighters like the F-35. Affectionately called “loyal wingmen, the drones are supposed to augment the human-piloted jets in missions ranging...